Plate-glass-annealing oven.



No. 737,909. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

J. W. GRUIKSHANK. PLATE GLASS ANNEALING OVEN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1902.

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NQ. 737,909. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903..l

l J. W. CRUIKSHANK. PLATE GLASS ANNEALING OVEN.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 19, 1902.

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PLATE-GLASS-ANNEALING OVEN.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.)737,909, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed April 19. 1902.

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Beit known that I, JAMES W. GRUIKSHANK a citizen of the United States,residin g at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Glass-Annealing Ovens, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the acconipanyin drawings.

In the operation of annealing-ovens through which plates of glass pass progressively from the casting-table to the cooling-leer it is difiicult to heat the oven-floors and maintain them at proper temperature. Vhen the temperature of the floors is not sufficiently high, the plates are chilled on their under surfaces and caused to curl.

It is the object of the present invention to provide for heating the floors and maintaining them at proper temperature by means of fines formed therein,which communicate with the ovens andwhich operate in conjunction with stack-fines, whereby the heated gases the ovens are utilized for heating the floors.

It is further characteristic of the invention to so arrange the floor and stack iiues that the draft from the ovens may be diverted through the floor-nues or may pass directly to the stack or partly through the floor and partly to the stack direct or the entire draft through a portion of the floor, as may be determined by working conditions and the skill of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a floor plan of ovens constructed in accordance with my invention, the floor of one oven being partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the dampers.

The initial oven 2 and intermediate oven 4f communicate through the usual opening 3 and final oven 5, from which the plates pass to leer 7, communicating with oven 4 through opening 6. Each of ovens 2 and 3 has sufficientv Hoor-space to provide two'stations or berths for the plates, said stations being indicated by the dotted lines a., b, c, and d, while final oven 5 .is of suilicient size to afford a single station or position e. From the initial position or station CL the plates are Serial No. 103.768. (No model.)

moved progressively to the other stations and finally from station e to rods S or other conveying means in leer 7, the oven-walls having usual openings 9, through which the stow= ing-tools are operated, all as oid and well known in the art. The highest temperature is of course necessary for the plates in initial position or station a, and it is appreciably lower or decreases for each succeeding station. Vhile it has notbeen difficult heretofore to accurately regulate the temperature of the upper portions of the ovens, the proper heating of the floors has been a more serious problem and tothe solution of which this invention is especially directed.

In the present embodiment of the invention front end walls 10 of each of ovens 2 and 3 are formed with fireplaces 11, which cornmunicate with the ovens, and the burning gases and products of combustion issuing therefrom into theovens pass of throughV flue-ducts 12 in the opposite end walls 10. The oven-floors are constructed each with a series of longitudinal lues 13, one for each of ducts 12 and into which the latter open, said floor-fines at the front ends of'the ovens communicating with underground flue 14, leading to stack l5, while a similar underground flue 16 places ducts 12 in communication with the stack. At the juncture of ducts 12 and licor-fines 13 are the horizontally-sliding T-shaped dampers 17, formed with openings 18 in their horizontal members at the outer sides of vertical members 19, whereby when the dampers are in outward position ducts 12 and fines 13 are in communication, causing the heated gases and products of combustion to pass therethrough before reaching the stack. With the dampers in inward position iues 13 are closed and ducts 12 open to stack-Hue 16.

In ovens with the usual solid floors it fre quently happens that the latter are deficientiy heated, however effective the heat may be within the upper portions of the ovens, resulting in chilling and curling of the plates. With the ovens constructed with iioor-iiues the heated gases and products of combustion may be directed backwardly therethrough and the floors thoroughly heated, and so maintained. By utilizing the waste gases and products of combustion for heating the floor Iroc all portions of the latter are subjected from below to a volume of heat with no iniiux of cooler or cold air and 011 this account is preferable to any possible arrangement of underiioor burners which would create currents of cold air toward the floor and therethrough into the oven in case of defective joints. If the floor of any oven heats unevenly, the

Vdampers may be so manipulated as to direct a portion of the heat through one or more of the oor-iiues, with the other iiuesl closed and the remainder of the heat passing directly to the stack. Thus very effective working conditions are constantly maintained.

Heat may be supplied from any suitable source or be generated in the fireplaces in any desired manner, the means here shown being burners 22, connected with an exterior gas-manifold 23.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A plate-glass-annealing oven having an inlet-opening in, one side wall, iireplaces in an end wall adapted to discharge ignited gases into the oven and over a plate introduced through the inlet-opening, the end 'Wall of the oven opposite the ireplaces constructed with a series of non-communicating ducts 12 into which pass the ignited gases and products of combustion after having completely traversed the oven, the oven-iioor constructed with a series of parallel non-communicating iiues 13, one for each of ducts 12 and,respectively,com municating therewith, a stack, the floor-hues being parallel with the oven side Walls and at their ends opposite ducts 12 communicating with the stack, a direct connection between ducts12 and the stack, and means at the juncture of each of ducts 12 and flues 13 whereby the products of combustion may be caused to pass from any one or all of ducts 12 directly to the stack or indirectly 'thereto through flues 13.

2. A plate-glass-annealing oven having its oor constructed with iiues and provided with a source ot"A heat, ducts extending from the Oven for carrying olf products of combustion,

said ducts communicating` with the oor-flues and having stack connections, a separate stack connection for the floor-fines, and dampers for directing the products of combustion to the stack through the floor-fines or directly to the stack.

3. A plate-glass-annealing oven having its floor constructed with lues and provided with a source of heat, ducts extending from the oven for carrying off waste gases and products of combustion, said ducts communicatingwith the Hoor-fines and having stack connections,

dampers at the juncture of the ducts and flooriiues for closing said ducts to either the iioorflues or the stack connection, and a separate stack connection for the iioor-flues. y

4i. A plate-glass-annealing oven having its Hoor formed with horizontal iiues, a stack, stack connections for the opposite ends of the flues, ducts opening out of one end of the oven and communicating with one end of the floor-hues and with the stack connections at said end, and means whereby draft from the oven may be caused to pass directly there from to the stack through said communicating ducts and stack connections, or indirectly to the stack through the iioor-flues and the stack connections at thev opposite ends of the latter.

5. A plate-glass-annealing oven having its iioor formed with horizontal ii-ues, a stack, stack connections for the opposite ends of the iiues, ducts opening out of one end of the oven and communicating with one end of the looiflues and with the stack connections at said end, and dampers at the j unctures ofthe floor-fines and said ducts and common thereto, whereby draft from the oven may be caused to pass directly therefrom to the stack, or indirectly to the stack through the loor-lues and stack connections at the opposite ends of the latter.

lu testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMES NV. GRUIKSHANK. Vitnesses:

J. M. NEsBIT, ALEX. S. MABoN. 

